Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve a lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump concerning the broadcast of a 60 Minutes interview with then Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election campaign.
According to reports in the Los Angeles Times, the settlement will fund Trump’s planned presidential library and not be paid to him directly. The agreement brings an end to Trump’s $20 billion legal claim against CBS, in which he alleged that the 60 Minutes programme deliberately edited out an unfavourable segment of Harris’s interview to avoid embarrassment.
While Paramount made no admission of wrongdoing and did not issue an apology, it has agreed to make full interview transcripts available in future 60 Minutes episodes featuring presidential candidates.
Trump launched the legal action in late October, claiming journalistic malpractice. CBS maintained throughout that the edits made to the Harris interview followed standard editorial procedures. Legal analysts largely dismissed the lawsuit as meritless, citing the strong protection of press freedom under the US Constitution.
Despite this, Paramount entered mediation, reportedly seeking to ease tensions with Trump amid its efforts to secure regulatory approval for an $8 billion merger with Skydance Media, an entertainment firm. The network is said to have hoped a settlement would help avoid potential political roadblocks.
Trump had originally sought $10 billion in damages before increasing the figure to $20 billion during the course of the litigation.
The controversy has led to high-profile departures within CBS News, including 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens in April, followed by CBS News President Wendy McMahon in May.
